KAI officials assault Vanguard reporter in Lagos

By Kelechukwu Iruoma
Lagos- Officials of the Kick Against Indiscipline, KAI on Wednesday, assaulted and detained a Vanguard reporter, Mr. Kelechukwu Iruoma at Oshodi area of Lagos, for taking photographs of officials arresting traffic offenders on the highway.

Drama ensued when some persons who refused to use the pedestrian bridge were being dragged into a waiting black maria by the KAI officials which elicited Mr. Kelechukwu’s interest that he decided to take some shots of the scene. While taking his shots one of the officials on duty approached him, seized his phone and detained him.

Kelechukwu who is a student of the University of Nigeria, Nsuka undergoing an Industrial Attachment at Vanguard newspapers, brought out his identity card, explaining that he was a reporter with Vanguard newspaper.

The KAI officials who detained the reporter at 12:21 pm refused to let him go, stating that it was a crime to take photographs of them without their consent.

One of the KAI officials said: “It is illegal to snap us on uniforms without our consent. How can you snap us without informing us? We will put you in black maria and take you to Alausa and nothing will happen,” he threatened.

The reporter who was about to be dragged into the KAI Black Maria was able to put a call to the office with another phone. He was later released after an official spoke directly to Head of Vanguard Education Desk demanding his release. He was later released and given his phone at 1:10pm but the photos he had taken deleted.